Why do women suffer from hair loss during pregnancy?

Most women go through hair loss during pregnancy. In fact, while your skin and hair start to glow during the other two trimesters. Did you know that hair loss occurs only after the delivery and not during it? There are many more myths waiting to be debunked. Read on to know more about hair loss during pregnancy:

First questions first, what is Telogen Effluvium.

Telogen Effluvium is mainly caused by a lot of hormonal stress on the body or a change in metabolic rate extensively. It is a form ofnon-scarring alopecia. The chances of getting Telogen Effluvium in pregnant women is very high as the hormonal stress and the metabolic rate, both are majorly affected the growth of a baby inside.

The excessive shedding of hair during Telogen Effluvium affects 40-50% women after one to five months following the delivery. The good news is, that like most changes that one’s body goes through during pregnancy- this is also temporary.

Did you suffer through any other reproductive issues?

There are a lot of complications that happen during pregnancy. Here are some situations where hair loss can become a major problem:

Miscarriage

Unfortunately for expecting moms, who lose their babies- a miscarriage comes as a really hard time. But, hair loss does not start appearing for a long time after the miscarriage. The hormones take a time to stabilize in the body and only after that the hair loss becomes visible.

Abortion

Hair Loss is an extremely common side effect after termination of a pregnancy. In fact, a lot of women complain of Telogen Effluvium but it is highly temporary.

Stillbirth

Due to the hormones getting imbalanced, one might face hair loss or even patchy hair one or two months after they experience stillbirth. It is a very hard time for mothers to cope up with and we give our patients extreme support during this time.

Discontinuation of contraceptive pills

As contraceptive pills result in hormonal changes, the discontinuation can affect hair growth largely. You might start to see hair loss a month or two after discontinuing the pills.

Hormonal Imbalance

All of the aforementioned causes are a result of hormonal imbalance. As a woman, you are bound to go through a lot of hormonal changes butimbalance during pregnancy can get quite unbearable.

Are you not getting the right nutrition?

There are many other reasons for hair loss during pregnancy as well. As the body now has to feed two bodies, the nutrition can sometimes lack from the body. A lot of times, iron deficiency can occur in underweight expectant mothers. This results in anemia and lack of folic acid as well, which is an extremely important nutrient for baby’s growth. B 12 deficiency is another cause for lack of nutrition in women, especially in pregnant women. All of these aforementioned deficiencies can highly result into hair loss in pregnant women.

Are you suffering from gestational diabetes mellitus and fungal infection?

Another reason to suffer through hair loss is when during pregnancy, a woman is suffering from gestational diabetes or fungal infection (generally ringworm). Hair Loss is anyway common after pregnancy as there is a lot of hormonal imbalance. But, even during the course of pregnancy, it becomes really difficult to keep a check on hair loss as gestational diabetes mellitus and fungal infection can take over.

Are you having any additional drugs?

During pregnancy, if you take medication for PH levels, anxiety or to treat depression- then hair loss occurs more frequently than before. All of these medications add to hormonal imbalance and cause our hair to shed.

What are the other causes related to pregnancy that may cause hair loss?

There are many other reasons that can cause hair loss during pregnancy such as:

Lactation

Caesarean

Sudden decrease in estrogen

Sudden weight loss post pregnancy

This article is only written to clear your doubts about the reasons that can cause hair loss during pregnancy. But, please do not worry and enjoy the newest blessing in your life. If the aforementioned problems become more serious, then you can always consult us at HairMD and we will be happy to help you!

Add Comment

Consultation Form

" Correction of physical appearance and making it aesthetically perfect is not a mere status issue, its about making your soul comfortable in your body "